RHPU men deny killing Archival

CEBU, Philippines - The officials of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit (RHPU)-7 tagged in the killing of lawyer Noel Archival have denied the allegations against them formally.

Through lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna, Jr., RHPU-7 chief Sr. Supt. Romualdo Iglesia, Sr. Insp. Joselito Lerion, Chief Insp. Eduardo Mara, SPO4 Edwin Galan and PO1 Alex Bacani filed their counter-affidavits before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office yesterday afternoon.

They asked prosecutors to give them10 more days to submit supplemental affidavits and supporting documents and for the office not to resolve the complaint against them until the Department of Justice (DOJ) rules on their request for the department to handle the case.

The RHPU officials are facing charges for multiple murder and frustrated murder.

Dela Cerna said they do not intend to delay the proceedings but only want to study further the new allegations and evidences filed by the National Bureau of Investigation.

 â€œThe NBI has submitted last month additional affidavits of witnesses and this fact were known to respondents through the media only as herein respondents were never furnished copies thereof for their perusal and response in gross violation of the constitutional guarantee of due process,” Dela Cerna said.

In his counter-affidavit, Iglesia said,“I vehemently deny, belie, and refute the unfounded and malicious accusations leveled against me and my co-respondents by NBI7, through massive and sustained media publicity the same being without factual and legal basis, but a product of haphazard and biased investigation.”

Narrating his itinerary on the day Archival was killed on February 18, 2014, Iglesia said he went to the Tennis Court in Camp Lapu-Lapu around 6:30 a.m. and to his office around 9 a.m. to sign various office memoranda and documents.

At around 10:30 a.m., he went to the Public Safety Savings and Loan Association Inc. in Jones Avenue, Cebu City together with his secretary Joy Corsame and driver, SPO1 Arnold Fernandez, to follow-up on his capital contribution and red passbook. This reportedly lasted until 11:50 a.m.

At past 12:30 p.m. after having a lunch, he reviewed the investigation report on the cancellation of registration of one impounded motor vehicle at his office and at around 2:00 p.m., he went back to Camp Lapu-Lapu in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

Considering that the drive to Dalaguete in southern Cebu takes about two hours, he said his itinerary would not have allowed him to drive there where Archival and his two companions were ambushed at around 1 p.m.

Iglesia also questioned the joint affidavit of SPO1 Reynaldo Solante and Special Investigator Teodoro Saavedra who said that Iglesia drove out a NVO 532 grey Strada from the HPG compound in Sudlon, Lahug on the day of the killing. This was reportedly based on the logbook of the guards that manned the compound. Iglesia said the statement is a lie because the records reportedly do not reflect such entry.

He also said that none of the cartographic sketches on the supposed suspects resemble him or his fellow suspects.

Iglesia said he suspects that the reason why NBI is “singling out” the HPG personnel is the disbarment case HPG-NCR has filed against one of the investigators of the case before the Supreme Court and the Ombudsman for direct assault and obstruction of justice in 2007.  (FREEMAN)